The Top 5 Job Interview Follow-up Faux Pas

It is the morning after your job interview… time to draft your thank you note, right? Or maybe it has it been a week since the interview, and you haven’t heard back?

Avoid these follow-up faux pas to ensure that your initiative spurs a “you’re hired” instead of the dreaded “we regret to inform you.”

1. The Robot Message

A robot message is too formal, not personalized, and is likely to be instantly deleted by a hiring manager.

Be professional, but conversational in your response. The tone of the message should sound like you, not an old-fashioned business letter.

Don’t send the same exact note to every company or every person you interviewed with within the same company. Personalize it. For example, mention something from the interview that you found interesting about the role, company, or the interviewer’s experience.

2. The Follow-up Novel

If the hiring manager has to scroll more than once to read your entire message on their iPhone… it’s too long. Way too long. Focus on concise, clear communication that demonstrates a clear respect for the recruiter’s time.

3. Oh-so Demanding

Following up too soon and asking for too much in your follow-up may make a hiring manager question whether they want to work with you.

Ideally, ask about the decision timeline and next steps at the end of your interview. If the interviewer said you would hear back in X weeks, send your thank you note and wait X weeks. If there was no timeline established, follow-up after 1 week. Stop after your thank you note and 2 follow-ups.

A follow-up message should not “ask” of anything more from a hiring manager. Your follow-up may provide the interviewer with information that you didn’t have during the interview (i.e. another job offer that you have to give a response to asap) or offer to provide more (i.e. “Please let me know if there’s any additional information I can provide”).

4. A Show of Ungratefulness

This one is simple – don’t be ungrateful.

It’s awesome that the company is hiring interns or recent grads. It’s awesome that they took the time to interview you. Sincerely thank the person you’re following up with for their time.

5. Last Place at the Spelling Bee

A spelling mistake in a follow-up will make a hiring manager question your attention to detail and could cost you the job.

Spend time crafting your message. Check the spelling. Check the grammar (one common mistake is using you’re vs. your). Read it out loud. And do it all again before you hit send.

Following up is a good thing… a “must do” thing. Follow-up faux pas, however, can halt the momentum you’ve worked so hard to gain. Be concise. Be personal. Be careful. And most important, keep the needs of the employer in mind as you write a note expressing gratitude for the opportunity.

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